Bale Mountains National Park

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When I asked colleagues at the College about getting to Dinsho, they again said that it is difficult. However, I figured that as all buses to Addis and Shashemene go through Dinsho, I should be able to get a bus early in the morning. In hope, I went to the bus station on Friday to enquire about bus times, keeping my fingers crossed for a later start, but, as I probably already assumed, I was told I would have to get a 6.30 bus. As the journey is only an hour, I decided that there was no need to get there at 5.30 (which seems to be normal practice to get a good seat) so arrived at just gone 6. There were 2 farenji on the bus - a couple of Spanish guys (one of whom didn’t speak English, and my Spanish has apparently deserted me in my efforts to learn Amharic and Afaan Oromo, and the other was very angry because they had been told it was a different bus, and then switched to this bus which, by this time was full).

I was dropped off in Dinsho at 7.30 ish and decided it was much too early to land on the doorstep of people I don’t know, who had invited me to stay the night with them, so went for a coffee at the Wolf’s Den Café - recommended in the Guide Book, but also the only café as far as I could see! I then went for a walk through the village as far as a bridge over a river at the western edge. Fantastic! It was quite cold, and I was glad of the gloves that Auntie Maureen had sent me, but the views were amazing. There were Wattled Ibis down by the river.

I was accompanied part way back up the hill to the gate of the National Park by a boy on horseback.

I spent most of the morning walking up Dinsho hill, armed with binoculars, bird book and a sketched map by Alastair. I had a truly amazing and peaceful time. I spent lots of time sitting on various rocks in the sun as I slowly made my way up the hill in the centre of the area. I would sit and watch birds, or look up to see a herd of mountain nyala amongst the trees. A rustling would reveal a group of warthog. The peace was occasionally broken by the sound of someone on a mobile phone (there is no signal in Dinsho, but half way up the hill seems to be a good place to get reception), but it was easy enough to avoid people. It was on of those times when I feel so totally at peace -and realised that I am pleased that I do not work in a city like Addis, despite the fact that I would be able to socialise.

I continued uphill, slowly due to the altitude and the temptation to keep sitting on rocks in the sun, in my own little world, thinking how happy I was to be there … when I suddenly realised that ahead of me was a group of tourists with telescopes pointing in my direction. I froze. Not wanting to scare off whatever they were watching (assuming it was a bird, not me) I circled round until I could approach them from the side. They turned out to be a birding tour from the UK and America. Birders are a funny breed. There was me, a lone birdwatcher (binos and book obvious) and only 2 of the group even acknowledged me. However, they did invite me to have a look through a scope trained on an Abyssinian Long-eared Owl!!

After they continued on their way, I sat at the top of the hill, looking out across mountains, which more warthogs in the foreground, regretting the fact that my camera was in the Park office, when I had a sensation of being watched. I slowly looked around … and there were 3 mountain nyala under some trees, just looking at me. They were no more than 10 metres away. They are such beautiful and graceful animals. The mountain nyala is an endemic species of antelope (I think).

I stayed withy Deb and Alastair for the night, in their amazing house, drinking port in front of a blazing log fire, after an amazing meal that Deb cooked. They left for Addis on Sunday morning, but had arranged that someone, who I had already met in Robe, would help me get a ride back to Robe. The thing to do is to speak to the Traffic Police who ask drivers to give you a lift (there are no regular buses between Dinsho and Robe). As it turned out, I got a place on a bus from Shashemene.

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Photos

Dinsho
The village where the National Park Headquarters is situated.

From the edge of the village
There is a small river at the Western edge of Dinsho. It's a good place to see Wattled Ibis.

Road sign
One of the reasons the National Park was set up, was to protect the rare Ethiopian Wolf.